Upcoming Windows phones 2014: In 2012, Samsung launched its first Windows Phone-powered handset, and while it showed great promise in the hardware department, the platform in itself was still under continous improvement.

Last year, the company released two other Windows Phones but they were only available through local carrier Verizon.

Several months later, we see another Verizon-exclusive WP 8.1 smartphone - the ATIV SE.

For the past couple of months, we have seen renders, leaked images and specs of the said device. And now it is available for pre-order from Verizon beginning at $199.99 on a two-year contract. For consumers who do not want to be stuck in such a commitment, the ATIV SE is also available off-contract, but would set buyers back for $599.99.

In a recent report by GSM Arena, Verizon is also offering a unique promo that will let consumers get another smartphone for free, given that it is also on a 2-year deal. In addition, the promo only works on the carrier's current list of high-devices including the fresh HTC One (M8), and the Samsung Galaxy S5.

So that means, buyers who would get an ATIV SE and either of the two other flagship smartphones mentioned on contract would only pay $199.99 upfront.

Another important feature is the freshly announced Windows Phone 8.1 update, which brings voice assistant Cortana, customizable Start screens, the new notification center, and more. While there are no exact release dates for the update yet, we expect it to arrive within April or early May.

So which Verizon smartphones do you plan to buy to get the carrier's deal?

February saw a lot of new K-pop releases, some of which are making charts in Korea but not getting a lot of love overseas. Here are some can't-miss songs from Naul, Kris Leone, Block B's Zico, Lee Jin Ah, and more.